Apparatus for rolling and forming articles

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to apparatus for rolling forming articles by rolling them into recesses in die means. The articles are rolled by forming rollers arranged in C shape and with a cylindrical rotatable member within the C and having die recesses formed therein into which recesses the material of the articles are rolled.

United States Patent 1 1 3,685,33 1 Marcovitch [4 1 Aug. 22, 1972 [54] APPARATUS FOR ROLLING AND 2,085,963 7/ 1937 Ferm et al. ..72/ 198 FORMING ARTICLES 2,978,933 4/ 1961 Sendzimir ..72/ 190 lnventof: Jacob Marcovit h Johannesburg 1,984, 1 I PlOChaSka ..72/1 X South Africa 1,421,667 7/1922 Budd ..72/ 197 2,610,532 9/ 1952 Heppenstall ..72/ 1 1 1 [73] Ass1gnee: Rotary Profile Anstalt, Vaduz, 2,429,052 10/1947 Forbes, Jr ..72/124 Liechtenstein 1,929,987 10/1933 Mead ..72/ 190 X 2,069,496 2/ 1937 Kessler ..72/190 [22] 1969 2,266,418 12/1941 Evans ..72/190 [21] Appl. No.: 889,626 3,260,089 7/ 1966 Hazelton et al ..72/118 X 1,772,538 8/1930 Donner ..72/ 198 X 3,123,905 3/1964 Thomas ..72/187 x [63] Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 615,613, Feb.

13, 1967, Pat. No. 3,533,259. Primary Examiner-Milton S. Mehr Attorney-Young & Thompson Foreign Application Priority Data Feb. 14, 1966 South Africa ..66/804 [57] ABSIRACT This invention relates to apparatus for rolling forming [52] US. Cl. ..72/ 190, 72/91, 72/196 articles by rolling them into recesses in die means. The [51] Int. Cl. "1121b 12/00 articles are rolled by forming rollers arranged in C [58] Field of Search ..72/106, 184, 197, 107-126, shape and with a cylindrical rotatable member within 72/91, 198, 92, 93, 187-196 the C and having die recesses formed therein into which recesses the material of the articles are rolled. [56] References Cited 5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures APPARATUS FOR ROLLING AND FORMING ARTICLES This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 615,613 filed February 13, 1967, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,533,259.

This invention relates to apparatus for forming articles by rolling.

It is known to form articles by rolling but as far as I am aware the only articles that may be thus formed are either elongated strips or wires or have a surface of revolution or have helices or threads formed on them.

It is an object of this invention to provide apparatus and/r methods for rolling articles by forcing them into die recesses by means of rollers. A further object of the invention is to provide such apparatus in which the formation of the articles can take place continuously.

Three embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

F lG. l is a side view partially in section of apparatus for rolling strip bar or plate thereby to form a series of articles in a line,

F IG. 2 is an enlarged transverse section through a roller used in the apparatus of F IG. 1, and

F lGS. 3 and 4 are views similar to F IG. 1 of modified apparatus of the invention.

FIGURES 1 and 2 Referring now to F IG. 1 there is shown apparatus of the invention comprising a series of back-up rollers rotatable about fixed axes and being arranged generally to define the shape of a C. A plurality of forming rollers 12 are provided. These rollers 12 roll in line contact on the back-up rollers 10, being arranged in such a way that each forming roller 12 is supported by two adjacent back-up rollers 10. It will be seen that the forming rollers 12 also define a C.

Each forming roller 12 has a pocket 14 formed in its periphery (see FIG. 2). Each pocket 14 has radiussed corners at its base and has outwardly splayed sides. The rollers 12 may also be profiled. Located within the C formed by the rollers 12 is a circular section die means in the form of a central roller 16. A C-shaped path of decreasing width is formed between the rollers 12 and the central roller 16. The central roller 16 is formed with a plurality of pockets 18 (i.e. die recesses bound in all directions by the walls of the recesses) in its periphery. The location of the pockets 18 is such that if the roller 16 and the rollers 12 are correctly prelocated and then are rotated at the same peripheral speeds, each time a pocket 14 in a forming roller 12 faces the roller 16, it, the pocket 14, would be in substantial register with the pocket 18 in the roller 16. Gears (not shown) are provided to ensure that the rollers 16 and 12 rotate at the same peripheral speed and in register.-

The roller 16 is driven by any convenient known drive indicated diagrammatically at 20 and the forming rollers 12 will be driven by friction with the strip on which the apparatus is to work. However a suitable drive may be connected to drive the one or more of the forming rollers 12. 1

A bar or strip of metal 22 or plate to be worked is fed into the C-shaped gap between the rollers 12 and the central roller 16. The strip 22 rolls around the two backing rollers 16a and 10b at the mouth of the C so as to be guided in and out of the gap in parallel paths. As the gap narrows in width, the rollers 12 apply a greater and greater pressure on the strip 22 and force the material of the strip 22 into the pockets 14 and 18 respectively thereby forming patterns 24 on the strip. These patterns 24 enlarge, as shown in the drawings, to form the articles 26. The strip 22 emerges from the machine as a series of finished articles 26 formed by and of a shape complementary to the pockets l4 and 18 and joined by a thin web 28.

The roller 10b is recessed to accommodate the parts of the articles 26 formed in the recess 14 of the forming rollers 12.

The strip 22 mayadditionally be drawn through the machine by external means (not shown).

At least one further series of back-up rollers may be provided to back up the back-up rollers 10.

FIGURE 3 In a modified embodiment shown in F IG. 3 there is provided a C-shaped backing member 30 within which is a central cylindrical roller 32 forming die means. Forming rollers 34 which are generally similar to the forming rollers 12 are driven by a chain 36 that is guided and supported by the C-shaped backing members 30. The chain 36 is itself driven in any suitable fashion. The throat between the backing member 30 and the die roller 32 narrows, so that the forming rollers 34, as they progress through the throat, are able to bring progressively more pressure to bear on the workpieces in the form of a strip 38 so that the material 40 is forced into the patterns or die recess 42 of the die roller 32 and the pockets 14 of the forming rollers 34. The movement of the rollers 54 is synchronized with that of the die roller 32 as in the first described embodiment.

The central roller 32 is rotated by any conventional means in similar manner to the roller 16. This apparatus produces a series of finished articles 44 joined by webs, as is seen at 46. The throughput can be very high and the feed rate is capable of adjustment over a very wide range.

FIGURE 4 In FIG. '4, back up means in the form of a C-shaped body or frame 50 has within its cavity die means in the form of a driven roller 52 that forms a die member. The forming rollers 54 are passed through the arcuate gap between the body 50 and the roller 52 by rotation of the roller 52. Pockets 56 are provided in the periphery of the roller 52. Individual blanks 58 are introduced into the pockets 56 and are rolled into them by the forming rollers 54. As the pockets 56 are in the central roller 52, the formed articles 60 are withdrawn as they move through the gap 60 at the mouth of the C-shaped body.

GENERAL Reference should be made to the specification of my said co-pending application in which is described and claimed an allied invention. In this specification there are also numerous statements which, where appropriate, are applicable to this invention. Thus for example, the dimension of the backing means in .the

direction of the axis of the rollers is at least as great as the axial length of the rollers and the length of the line of contact between the rollers and the back-up is preferably greater than the length of contact between the rollers and the strip or blanks. Also the strip or blanks can be warm, hot or cold worked. it will also be understood that the forming rollers need not be pocketed and may be plain cylindrical or profiled rollers. It will be noted that the number of pockets are arranged so that the forces on the die rollers are as far as possible balanced.

The apparatus of the invention can be used for making balls, rollers, bolts, cam shafts, crank shafts and the like. Such items can be made effectively at very high rates; the usual machining will be necessary but they would emerge from the apparatus with good part definition. Most materials can be used e.g. carbon and alloy steels and other alloys. The operation will normally take place with the materials being hot or warm but it is proposed that cold working will also take place.

Each forming roller can have more than one die recess or pocket formed in its periphery. The pocket may be contained in circumferential lands or recesses.

The forming rollers may be of any suitable diameter to give rigidity in operation and to disipate heat through the rollers. However it is desirable that the forming rollers are not of too great a diameter as the greater the diameter the less the pressure applied by the rollers for a given force applied to them. Typically, the forming rollers may be at least 6 inches in diameter for approximately half inch depth of pockets. The central die roller can be of any desired diameter consistent with the requirements of rigidity, the requirements of passing high torque, etc. The minimum diameter currently considered feasible is about 3 feet, but for small workpieces, smaller diameter central rollers may be used.

The central roller is preferably provided with ejector means which may consist of a cam mechanism for assisting in ejecting the workpieces from the pockets in the roller periphery where the strips or webs containing the formed articles leave the C-shaped path.

There is preferably provided an overflow well arranged around and spaced about a quarter of an inch from the pockets in both the central roller and the forming rollers. Flash will form in this well and this flash may be blanked off when the articles are being removed from the finished web joining the articles.

It will be understood, of course that the length of the articles being rolled in the direction of the circumference forming rollers is less than the circumference of the forming rollers.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for forming from a relatively thick workpiece a plurality of articles interconnected by relatively thin portions of the workpiece, comprising a relatively large roller rotating at a predetermined peripheral speed, said relatively large roller having a plurality of pockets spaced in an annular series about the periphery thereof, and a plurality of relatively small rollers spaced about a substantial portion of the periphery of said relatively large roller and outwardly therefrom and arranged in a C-shaped configuration, means supporting said relatively small rollers for rotafiil 'i r flfih 2&3 ilZu"veii2iZl%'i 635m?? shaped configuration defining with said periphery a C- shaped throat that progressively narrows in one direction about said relatively large roller, said relatively thick workpiece entering said throat and traveling through said throat at a speed equal to the peripheral speed of said relatively large roller undergoing a deformation in which material of the workpiece is progressively forced into said pockets when said pockets are juxtaposed with said relatively small rollers, articles forming in said pockets remaining in said pockets while in said C-shaped throat and progressively thickening in a direction radially of said relatively large roller at the same time that said workpiece between said articles becomes progressively thinner.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, and a pocket in the periphery of each said relatively small roller, the pockets in the relatively small rollers registering with the pockets in the relatively large roller upon rotation of said relatively large and relatively small rollers thereby to form from said workpiece articles that project from opposite sides of the progressively thinning portion of the workpiece between said articles.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, and rollers of a diameter larger than said relatively small rollers and backing up said relatively small rollers.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, and a C-shaped frame backing up said relatively small rollers.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, and rollers disposed between said relatively small rollers and said C-shaped frame. 

1. Apparatus for forming from a relatively thick workpiece a plurality of articles interconnected by relatively thin portions of the workpiece, comprising a relatively large roller rotating at a predetermined peripheral speed, said relatively large roller having a plurality of pockets spaced in an annular series about the periphery thereof, and a plurality of relatively small rollers spaced about a substantial portion of the periphery of said relatively large roller and outwardly therefrom and arranged in a C-shaped configuration, means supporting said relatively small rollers for rotation each about its own axis at substantially the same peripheral speed as said relatively large roller, said C-shaped configuration defining with said periphery a C-shaped throat that progressively narrows in one direction about said relatively large roller, said relatively thick workpiece entering said throat and traveling through said throat at a speed equal to the peripheral speed of said relatively large roller undergoing a deformation in which material of the workpiece is progressively forced into said pockets when said pockets are juxtaposed with said relatively small rollers, articles forming in said pockets remaining in said pockets while in said C-shaped throat and progressively thickening in a direction radially of said relatively large roller at the same time that said workpiece between said articles becomes progressively thinner.
 2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, and a pocket in the periphery of each said relatively small roller, the pockets in the relatively small rollers registering with the pockets in the relatively large roller upon rotation of said relatively large and relatively small rollers thereby to form from said workpiece articles that project from opposIte sides of the progressively thinning portion of the workpiece between said articles.
 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, and rollers of a diameter larger than said relatively small rollers and backing up said relatively small rollers.
 4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, and a C-shaped frame backing up said relatively small rollers.
 5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, and rollers disposed between said relatively small rollers and said C-shaped frame. 